Sunday, June 29, 2008

1. Having a hubby that NEVER raises his voice at me, that NEVER makes me feel stupid by his actions, gestures, or words even if I sometimes do something foolishly. A hubby that is SO easy to love and that doesn't demand me to be a clean freak (yes, I'm a lazy pig HI HI HI HI HI...). A hubby that makes me laugh and makes it easier for me to love myself (and to love himself in return). A hubby that understands me and accepts me the way I am. A hubby that still makes me feel SO MUCH passion even while he's driving a car or doing nothing in particular he he he...

I know I'm repeating myself here, but I don't want to ever stop cherishing all the good things that he has.

Anyway, I LOVE YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH, Honey!!!! I've always known you're the one for me!!!!!!!!!!!

2. Being able to sleep pretty soundly after having SUCH a hard time to go to sleep due to my coughing fit (every few minutes I'd cough long and hard till my head and stomach felt painful). It was such a bliss to be able to sleep without coughing up once.

3. Talking about the future with hubby: our plans, dreams. Joking with him about our future "kid" he he he...

4. Having a conference chat UNEXPECTEDLY with two of my oldest best friends. It was SO MUCH FUN!!! ^___________________________________^

5. Telling hubby a few times that I think he's going to be a WONDERFUL Dad, esp. 'coz of his playful, wacky side. *GRIN*

6. Seeing three teenage girls in the store picking up every little thing they could find while chattering away noisily ----> the scene reminded me of my own teenage years where I did EXACTLY what they did, making the storekeeper annoyed with their presence hi hi hi hi hi hi...I can't believe it's 15 years ago...

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

For my dear blogger friends and readers:I don't know what's wrong with my template, but I've been trying to find a new one for a while. I apologize for any inconvenience caused these days, esp. later on when I'm changing it (I don't know when I'm going to have enough time to do it - maybe after the training is done).

Anyway, I've promised to tell you about the game we had together in Kelujärvi with my in-laws. It's called Mölkky and it's like outdoor bowling, but not exactly ha ha ha ha ha...

There are 12 small logs of wood with the number 1 to 12 on top. The more players there are, the merrier. Basically speaking, first of all the 12 logs of wood are put together in the center and the first player has to hit them with another log of wood (unnumbered).

If a player manage to knock down only one log of wood with the number 10 on top, then he will get 10 points. However, if he knocks down more than one log of wood, for example 4 logs of wood, then he'll only get 4 points (the number of logs of wood he knocks down).

The winner is the one who gets the total amount of 50 points. The player must get EXACTLY 50 points. If his total points is over 50, then he's out of the game. It's really fun he he he he...

Oh, almost forgot...once the logs were spread down and knocked down on the ground, then they'll be put upright again on their separate location, so they're not grouped together again close to one another like in the beginning of the game. So the more spread out they are, the harder it is to knock them down he he he he he...

Here are some pics so that you can understand it better:

And you know what peeped at us while we were gaming Mölkky? THIS CUTE BUNNY!!! Unfortunately my digital camera was inside the house, so I asked for hubby's mobile phone to catch this bunny he he he...It's not THAT clear, but it was SO cute. It was my FIRST time being so close to a real wild bunny he he he he...I LOVE living in Finland HE HE HE HE HE HE...^______________________^

Note: I SUCKED at gaming Mölkky, but I won again and again and again during our card games HO HO HO HO HO HO...It feels GOOOOODDD, babbyyyy hi hi hi hi hi...

Here are some other pictures I took last weekend:

My FIL went fishing (hubby said he used a fish trap) and found this two hauki (pike).

The neighbour's horse was lazing around in the sun he he he...

Saw this dragonfly while I was walking towards the lake.

And this pretty butterfly, too. Unfortunately my camera couldn't capture it well, but you see the bluish butterfly there, right? ;-D

Okay, time for me to cook and then I'll blog hop a bit...or try to fix my template. We'll see how it goes!!!

I was browsing online today found these cute furry leg warmers. They look so chic and trendy for this upcoming winter, don't you think so? If you don't believe me, just click on the link he he he...After moving to Finland, it's VERY important for me to have leg warmers and thick socks. Plus, of course, it's MUCH better if I can get them on a discount or on a special price at the flea markets (even the flea markets sometimes sell new stuff, you know?).

Speaking of fashion, I've been thinking of buying something for my brother's wife. I'd love to buy her some clothes, but I'm not sure what her size would be like after she gives birth in October. So maybe I should go browse for handbags in the stores here or online stores. But then again I'd better find quite a big bag since I'm sure after the baby's born, she's going to bring SO much stuff with her when they go out with the baby.

And speaking of baby, I also want to buy some cute baby hats or caps. Now that I know the baby's going to be a boy, it's going to be FAR easier for me to find gifts to buy him he he he he...

Now all I need to do is save money and then find the appropriate gifts for them. I LOVE bringing home gifts for my family!!!! ;-D

Monday, June 23, 2008

There are lots of bloggers in this world. I'm wondering in which continents most of the bloggers live. So, I am challenging all the bloggers to do this tag. Let's see how far we can get with all of bloggers in those 7 continents.

~Begin Copy~

Rules :

1. Start Copy from "Begin Copy" until "End Copy".2. Put your blog's name and url write in which continent you live, add the country you live in. Example : My Imaginary Travels (Netherlands)3. Leave your url post in here and I'll add you to the Master List.4. Please help spread this tag by tagging your friends as much as you can.5. Don't play unfair! If you have more than 1 blog, you can participate all your blogs for this tag. BUT you will have to post this tag to all your blogs as well. So, please. Don't cheat!6. Please come back again to copy the update of the master list, often. This process will help new participants to get the same gains as the first participants.7. Don't forget to use the banner at your post, you can save as or you can just copy the code in here.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Since it's so easy to complain, why don't we all try to stop ourselves before we can even utter some complaints, shall we?

I understand that it might be hard to do when you REALLY have good, solid reasons to complain, but if they're just "simple" matters, then we CAN and SHOULD stop ourselves from complaining, don't you think so?

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Two days ago as usual hubby told me out of the blue that we were spending a night at my in-laws on Friday. He had forgotten to tell me that earlier. Not that I mind too much, but sometimes I do love being told much earlier so that I can plan what to cook and when to cook and if I want to bring something for them, I have time to plan what I want to make or bake.

But as I had expected, we had a GREAT time together he he he he...I'll tell you later what kind of game we played outside, but for now let me just share some flower pics I took.

This one below is my fave. I also took a pic of this flower from other angles.

A MAGNIFICENT field of yellow flowers. They seem to grow everywhere in any field in Kelujärvi.

Also found some bugs he he he he he...

These roses below are actually MUCH prettier in reality as there are some orangey colours on the petals, but unfortunately they're not really vivid here.

Last but not least, here's a pic of me in my in-laws boat HE HE HE HE...

All my life until now, I've only worked in an office once. It was in a garment factory. When I first went there for my interview, my Dad took me, along with my Mom and brother hi hi hi hi...We were surprised when we got there since there were so many gigantic metal buildings around the area. The area was faraway from downtown, since there were many factories there.

Some factories had huge carports, metal carports to be exact, since they offered transportation to many employees as many people live downtown. This transportation idea was fine, except for the other downside.

If my work for the day was done at around 5 pm, then I could hop in one of the cars and get back home easily. The problem was that if I had finished work at around 7 pm, I had to wait another hour to get back home as that was the only other time schedule for their cars to escort the employees back downtown. That meant I only reached home at around 9 pm. Swell, isn't it?

Anyway, if there are two things that the job has taught me, they would be these:

1. That office politics is really dirty. People can look nicely and talk nicely in front of you, but behind you they can be so nasty since they really want to get ahead in their career.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

After another 6,5 hour work cleaning the shelves in the store today, I came home exhausted again (read: collapsing on the sofa with my smelly feet - well, what do you expect after doing hard work with my socks and shoes on?), but my heart feels light, because tomorrow is a holiday for me HUA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...Finally my body can have proper rest!!!

One good thing about this kind of job training is that I can come home and think of nothing. I don't have to think about my undone tasks or the grumpy people I've met (because I've only been dealing with things, not people) and I've been burning calories.

I joked to Arttu today, "If I don't lose weight after doing this for 15 days, I'm going to S-C-R-E-A-M!" LOL LOL!!! I do want to lose weight, by the way, before I go to Indo, because I'm 1000000% sure that I'm going to gain weight when I'm there HE HE HE HE HE HE HE...

Now I get sidetracked...Speaking of this training,NO, it's not a permanent job. It's just a compulsory training that the course asks us to do for 15 days. Besides, I'm not sure that they have a job to offer and I don't think I want to do this kind of job even if they ask me to he he he...

Anyway, Midsummer Day (this coming Saturday) is a big day for everybody here, so tomorrow most places are only open for a few hours. Funnily enough, in our course we're taught that on Midsummer Day, people party a lot and they build a big campfire and roast sausages there, but I've never seen one yet, even though I've lived here for about a year and 3 months.

Tomorrow hubby and I are going to my in-laws. YIIPPPPPPPIIIIIIIIIIIEEEE!!! Last week we didn't go there, so I miss them already. Other than them, I also miss the kind of serenity that their place has to offer. A nice walk to the lake, their sauna, their warmth...playing cards with my MIL and hubby...I LOVE routine like this!!!

And I can't wait to see her blooming flowers, though I'm slightly afraid that tomorrow it'll rain again just like today he he he...If "summer" here keeps on being rainy and gloomy, I'll be SO SO SO SO glad that we're going to Indo in October when it starts to get dark again, because then we can enjoy the sun there HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...

Here in Finland I've never needed a fan, but when I still lived in Indo, there were times I wished we had ceiling fans since the temperature could get so hot and I was sitting all the time inside a little room, translating in front of the computer six days a week. Phew!!! I sweat like a pig during some hot days.

Speaking of fans, I remember the first time I saw ceiling fans that looked so elegant. It was hanging on the living room ceiling of my friend's house. The house was newly renovated, so everything was new and I was enjoying the breeze from the fans while waiting for her to dress up. Now, after checking out the photos online, I know that they are called Casablanca ceiling fans.

If you live in a tropical country, what kind of fans are you using? Modern ceiling fans? Or perhaps you prefer to use an air conditioner, eh?

Actually I'm a bit afraid that when I go back to Indo in October, I won't stand the heat he he he...but no matter what, I'm going to enjoy all the food once more! YEEEESSSSS!!!!!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Today was my third training day. Boy, after three days, I TOTALLY SALUTE all those people whose jobs involve almost non-stop physical activities.

Yesterday I was faced with a somewhat funny dilemma hi hi hi hi...My task was to wrap some souvenirs with some plastic and then I had to tie each of them with string and make a little bow there and then cut off the rest of the plastic (the plastic came in a roll, so I had to figure out myself how much was needed to pack the whole thing).

Actually, the first day I also did the same thing, but since it was only 3 hours straight, it was fine. Now yesterday I kept on doing it for around 6,5 hours and after a while my legs got so sore, so I took a stool and right away my legs thanked me TREMENDOUSLY. However, my arms started to protest HA HA HA HA HA...Why? Because I had to held both arms high up to wrap each souvenir and it just started to feel like exercising (honestly!!!).

Today my task was to put price tags on some things (which was nothing much), folded about 20 T-shirts, then I was told to clean up the shelves. Cleaning up the shelves turned out to be SO exhausting. Why? Because on the shelves and tables there are so many small, (mostly) fragile items that needed to be moved first elsewhere. And some of them were heavy. One time I wanted to sit down so much that I just sat on the floor for a few seconds when nobody was around HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...

And embarrassingly enough, I managed to drop some stuff on the floor where there were customers, BUT thankfully, they were made of wood, so they weren't broken or anything. PHEW!!!!!!!

Anyway, I really can't figure out now how much I've taken some people for granted: those people who have to pick heavy things and move them to different places...they're really something!!! I'm STANDING here, saluting all those people whose jobs are so heavy-duty (so to speak). *bowing*

I had been sitting in the classroom for a few months now (from 9 am till 3 pm) and even though I've been exercising twice a week, my body still feels like breaking down at the end of the day. Goodness! How "unfit" I am LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL!!! But this goes to show that I don't think I'm capable of doing this type of work. Of course I can get used to it, but I think I'm more of an office type of person, thank you very much hi hi hi hi hi...

Okay, time to blog-hop...but if I get too tired, I'll do it later this weekend, okay? I miss you guys and I'm not forgetting you, but I'm just so exhausted every time I come back home that what I want to do is just SLEEP, SLEEP, and SLEEEEEEPPPPP (oh, and eat, too!) ;-D

These days whenever I walk from or to my training place, I see flowers around me. The smell of grass permeates the air, tickling my nostrils with the idea of swimming on a lake and sunbathing in the sun, surrounded by blooming flowers.

Just today when I was walking home, I saw a woman tending her window box planters. She had three different flowers for each window box planter. I can't wait to see my mother-in-law's flowers since last weekend we didn't go there. I can't wait to visit them this weekend!!!

In a place where summer probably only lasts a month, no wonder my mother-in-law plants so many different types of flowers in spring, so these days she can let them out in her garden planters and decorative planters. I particularly like her hanging basket planters, though. I promise that I'll take plenty of pictures the next time I go there, okay?

Monday, June 16, 2008

There are a few types of "I Knew It" moments. One of them is the type when you're supposed to guess something that is of neutral or positive nature and you feel giddy with excitement when you blurt those words out. So you are right after all! YYYYEEESSSS!!!

Unfortunately, there are moments when you feel sad when you say those words. Those moments when you felt that there was something wrong at the back of your mind, yet you thought you were making it up. Then after a while, you found proof and your heart was broken. You felt betrayed and angry and stupid at the same time. You thought to yourself, "How could I have been so blind? I knew it already ever since a while ago, yet I was in denial."

There are also those moments when you could somehow feel that something bad would happen to someone you care about, yet you still hoped that things would turn out for the best. This is the type of moment when you don't want to say it or even think about it. You feel like you wanted to turn back time for that person's sake.

On the other hand, people make choices all the time and it's not your responsibility to shoulder the consequences of their choices. Sometimes you make choices you know you'll regret or choices that ask you for such a high price, yet you still take it. Only you yourself can decide whether to keep on walking on that particular road or not. Sometimes things change for the better even while you're walking still on that particular stretch of road, sometimes not.

Other times you change your attitude and perspective and you and your companion(s) make certain changes while you're on that particular road and that makes a HUGE difference. The air feels fresher and your burden feels lighter because of that. Other times you just need to get as far away from that road as possible and make a new start.

Some roads aren't as easy to get away from, as it involves many factors and people. As much as happiness is all in your mind, when you're stuck in a surrounding that makes it so hard for you to feel it, I suppose only God's grace is sufficient for you. Only His compassion and comfort would be enough to fill you up in exchange of sorrow and frustration.

And hopefully along the way there will come open doors of wonderful opportunities like a chest of treasure lying there or hidden somewhere behind the clump of bushes, waiting for you to pick...

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Yesterday a friend and I watched "Back to Normandy" in Midnight Sun Film Festival. Our first movie choice was "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", but unfortunately the tickets were sold out already, so we picked the next one available, even though we hadn't known what it was all about.

The beginning of the movie made us a bit confused, since we had NO idea what it was about. After a while, though, we realized that it was a documentary and we understood the flow of the story better and better.

I've never seen such a documentary before. It's a very interesting one. There was a scene of a pig farmer slaughtering a pig and letting the blood pour to a bucket. Kinda disturbing he he he...The beginning was slow, since we had NO idea what it was about, but once we grasped the whole idea, it became more and more intriguing. I can honestly say that I liked the ending to the documentary as it really provided closure. ;-D

If you click on the link, you'll read the synopsis of the documentary. It's basically about interviewing some people who acted in a movie 30 years back. The movie was based on a true story of a murderer. What made it confusing at first was that we didn't know anything about that movie that was produced 30 years back he he he he...but after a while everything became clearer and clearer.

Anyway, tomorrow I'll start my training, so maybe I'll also not be able to write too much since I'll be working full-time. After my training is done, we still have 3 last days at the course to talk about our training experience and to talk about what we're going to do next. Ummmm...what I want to do next is just go back to Indo and try to make a baby and then see what kind of course is available for me in the beginning of next year. Oh well...

Oh yeah, speaking of Midnight Sun Film Festival, after the movie, we went to an open cafe and enjoyed live music. We also met some people there whom my friend knew, so I've met many more people. One time while we were walking together, there was an Iranian guy stopping me only to ask where I came from. He just wanted to guess what kind of nationalities came to the Film Festival. He got surprised when he found out that I had lived in Sodankylä and that I didn't go there only to watch the Film Festival HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...

Then we saw something very crazy, too, when we were sitting down near a river's beach and enjoying the sun. It was only around 10'C and there were 2 guys and a woman skinny dipping in the river. They only went there twice and only for a few seconds, since the river's water must've been freezing!!! BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR...BRAVE people!!! That was the first time I had seen real people skinny-dipping in a public place right in front of my eyes. Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk...quite an experience!!!

OK, time to brush up my Finnish and then perhaps I'll blog-hop a bit he he he...

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Yesterday I visited a friend and when I got back home, all I wanted to do was SLEEP. My brain just couldn't focus on anything much anymore. But still I had to cook a little and wash the clothes (read: dump the clothes into the washing machine). After that I asked Arttu to deal with hanging the clothes (as usual as Tiny Me can't reach the high clothes line in our bathroom HA HA HA HA...).

He joined in to bed not long after that. He then said in a matter-of-fact voice, "You washed my contact lenses."

I jolted right away and said, "I WHAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTT?!?!?!?!? How could I do such a thing?"

He has some packs of daily contact lenses that he wears whenever we go to the bars as they're more convenient to wear than regular glasses. I noticed the pack on top of the washing machine prior to dumping all the dirty laundry inside, but I thought I had removed everything to a safe place.

I'm THANKFUL that he is always calm and collected even if I've made mistakes like that. He never raises his voice on me and he never makes me feel like a stupid fool. It makes it easier for me to laugh about my own mistakes.

Side note: The contact lenses are OK, by the way. They're individually packed he he he he...

These past week I feel that I've been brain dead. Well, almost. I 've lost interest in many things and it seems that I'm getting speech impaired or something. It takes me longer to think about normal, simple things. Oh well...

By the way, my brother's wife sent me an SMS today and she said that I'm going to have a nephew!!! So it's a boooyyyyyy!!! I can't believe that she's going on her 5th month already HE HE HE HE HE...Time flies and next week I'll start my training. It's gonna be interesting, considering the fact that I've NEVER done anything like that before in my entire life.

Today we did an online "test" about what kind of jobs would be suitable for us. Interesting!!! Funny thing was that one of them came out as a "translator", which I did already. No wonder it felt like a good choice for me, even though I don't know yet if I want to continue doing that or not. We'll see...here in Lapland I feel that I'd better find another type of job where I get to meet people. Otherwise I'll never make any more friends!!!

First thing first, though...I'm learning not to plan too much he he he...even though it's hard to curb that "planner" side of me. The other week I had a chat with one of my oldest friends and she said that she used to be SCARED with that planner side of mine HA HA HA HA HA HA...

Anyway, Saturday afternoon I'm going to watch a movie with my new friend and maybe Arttu if he wants to join us at the Midnight Sun Film Festival. We ended up choosing a classic: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, but then again I've never seen that movie before, so it's gonna be nice. After the movie, we'll probably go somewhere to talk he he he he...

I sure hope that it won't be raining then, though.

Okay, I'll blog-hop some tomorrow. It's already late and I don't have much time now. Sleep tight, everybodyyyyy!!!

Monday, June 09, 2008

There are times when music stirs something deep inside us, like a certain smell...it took us back to the past, to a certain moment in time...

This is one of those music that did that for me...I got goosebumps the second I heard the first few notes of this song...one of the Japanese drama series I watched when I was a kid with my Mom with tears running down our faces...

I've always loved a story about a woman's struggle...her love story, her strength, her pains, her victories...her journey of life...

Sunday, June 08, 2008

These are the pics of flowers I took in my MIL's place. ;-D Can't wait to see the rest of her blooms in the gardeeennnnn he he...

And here are my latest "cooking" attempt: Martabak Manis. I have no real martabak pan, so I just used my Teflon pan. The tough part in using the Teflon pan is that the bottom part of the martabak gets easily burnt. That's why I had to make it thinner. :-((((

After decorating half of them with banana slices, I used chocolate/nut spread for the other half. Yum yum...and I also sprinkled a little bit of powdered sugar he he...

This is the only Teflon pan I have that's deep enough and it has a cover, since to make martabak, you need a pan with a cover on top he he...If you're curious, you can write "martabak manis" in youtube. I've seen a few video clips there.

There's another version of this martabak, which is martabak asin or salty martabak. I may try it later once I'm back to being unemployed he he...